K Street Confidential columnist Jeffrey Birnbaum was online to discuss the intersection of business, politics and government on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. ET .

A transcript follows.

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Palm Desert, Calif.: Has the current exposure of the corrupt relationship between the Federal Legislators and the K Street operatives had any effect on the power once enjoyed by them both?

Michael Kane

Jeffrey Birnbaum: Hello All,

Thanks for writing in.

I wrote about the National Rifle Association this week. But in today's paper, I had a story about the new swing voter called Mortgage Moms. These are folks who feel pinched by stagnating wages and rising expenses and debts.

Please don't hesitate to ask about either of these subjects or anything else that might be on your mind.

As to your question, about "corruption" and power on K Street, I have to say there hasn't been much impact as far as I can see.

I have been told that business has been a little sluggish on K for a change. In part because of doubts about whether lobbying will be reined in by a new law this year.

But, as it turns out, it looks like lobbying reform is dead this year and the House will try to enact a sliver of the original proposal as a rules change. Nothing that would rein in lobbyists will pass this year, as far as I can see.

So the answer, in Washington anyway, is that there hasn't been much change.

What remains to be seen is whether voters will punish incumbents for being part of a system that has been attacked as corrupt. That one I don't have an answer to -- yet.

But stay tuned.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you think Linda Cropp's support for the SE baseball stadium has turned off some voters in her race for mayor?

Jeffrey Birnbaum: Not my area of expertise.

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Sanibel, Fla.: Jeffrey, Your column on the NRA and Brady Campaign gun law lobby dustups at state legislative levels brings back fond memories of working for the trucking industry in southern states years before I lobbied for Lockheed in DC. Frankly, I found state legislative lobbyists tougher and smarter than their Washington, DC-based counterparts. Reasons? State legislatures meet for much shorter sessions and state legislators have smaller staffs, if any at all. Also, everyone knows who gets the job done in Tallahassee, Montgomery and Richmond. They have wide-open, well-known won-lost records. That's not the case in DC. Does anyone keep a rating system for DC lobbyists? Also, Common Cause and the Center for Responsive Politics say that DC lobby costs are five to ten times the $2.7 billion reported under the 1995 Lobby and Disclosure Act. That places the total at $10-20 billion. I'll bet that state and local lobby costs match that - at least. Would you agree?

Jeffrey Birnbaum: Don't know how much lobbying at the state level is costing, and there is no way to know.

But as to measuring lobbyists' clout, well, I tried that for a while when I was at Fortune Magazine. I oversaw a poll of Washington insiders that measured the influence of major lobbying groups. It was called the Power 25.

But Fortune dropped the poll as money got tight there. Washington is not central to Fortune's mission, I'm afraid. That's a major reason I am here at the Post, and happy being here by the way.

But I would be up for restarting the poll with the Post. I'm not sure that would satisfy your craving for a broad assessment of effectiveness of lobbyists, but it would be start.

Otherwise, I'm afraid, the market will have to speak on that subject.

By the way, the NRA was perennially No. 1 or in the top three or four of lobbying organizations every time Fortune's poll came out. I bet the group would rank just as highly now.

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Chantilly, Va.: When will this govt take a strict measure to end the contract bundling issue and to make sure that these large companies do not have their dummy small business companies / woman-owned / etc and take contracts away which truly should be awarded to genuine small businesses.

Debate # 2 between President Bush and Senator Kerry during the 2004 elections where Mr. Bush mentioned that he will unbundle these contracts. The contracts have increased to four folds, DHHS awards contracts to Staples for office supplies, IRS to Corporate Express which is a subsidiary to a non US based company ad many many more, Wal-Mart and others getting small business contracts. Sometimes it makes me feel that it is an eye wash to the public from White House and to make these big companies rich. Are we sure that White House is Pro small business? I doubt it very much. What a shame, small business is the one who drives our country's economy but, with this regime it is not the small business it is the large business, not driving but ruining the economy.

Jeffrey Birnbaum: You bring up interesting points about which I know nothing. I will have to look into this one. Thanks.

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Ridgewood, N.J.: Mr. Birnbaum:

Do you see any way these days for a private individual--one of modest means who has no claim to fame other than "I am an informed citizen and vote in every election" to get his/her points of view on broad issues across to Congress?

Thank you!

Jeffrey Birnbaum: Voting is the way that individuals can have their voices heard in Washington.

The other way is to join organizations that lobby here. Another, I guess, is to contribute money to causes or candidates.

Individuals also can have some sway with their own elected officials. After all, lawmakers want to be reelected, so they anger their constituents at their own peril.

Other than that, I'm afraid, individuals don't have much clout. The country, and the capital, are too just too large.

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Ascot, U.K.: Any observations on the role of AIPAC during the recent upheaval in Lebanon and official US policy?

Jeffrey Birnbaum: Aipac is a very powerful group. It is the pro-Israel lobby in America.

I am unaware of what Aipac has done specifically to keep the U.S. on the Israeli's side during the recent, failed war.

My guess is, Nothing. The U.S. has been Israel's advocate for decades. It would have been a surprise if we had acted differently.

Aipac's clout is under pressure, now, however, as the U.S. decides what to do in the future. Keeping America as Israel's partner without wavering if Aipac's big test now.

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Oakland, Maine: The Bush Investment, the "Carlyle Group" are the Beneficiaries of our involment in the Middle East, and Eastern and Asian involvments.. Why doesn't the Democratic Party expose this Fraudulent game? Like Billy-Bob Clinton, are they all part of the deal? Are they all getting financial returns at the cost of American Soldiers Lives? As Sen Dodd says, Bush won, let him clean up,it's his turn..Will it be the Democrats turn to Steal when they win Congress? Is this the new game? To the winner belongs the spoils, including the Middle East Oil.. Where do we, the working class come in? jlp

Jeffrey Birnbaum: I believe that Carlyle is bipartisan. I also don't believe any of the conspiracy theories about that company. Big names like George H.W. Bush who have been on Carlyle's roster are meant to draw investors to meetings and not much more. They are political celebrities, not fixers, as far as I can tell. I wish I had the stomach for believing that "they" are out to get us. It would make my job a lot more exciting. But, I'm afraid to say, those theories are almost always completely untrue.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: How do mortgage moms differ from soccer moms? And why is it the "moms" are such a targeted group as opposed to women in general.

Jeffrey Birnbaum: I guess we could have called the swing group of voters we identified today Debt Dads or Financially Frazzled Females. But those would not have been as catchy.

Seriously, we used the term Moms because of the history of Moms in the past two elections: Soccer Moms and Security Moms. And we used it because we are talking for the most part about families with middle incomes that also own homes. That's the swing group of voters as best we can determine. Therefore, Moms works pretty well.

These Mortgage Moms are different than Soccer Moms because of their economic focus. The Soccer Moms were worried about education and moral values for the most part. Their finances weren't at issue at the time, which was back in 2000. The Mortgage Moms may well be a lot of the same folks, but they are feeling crushed by debt, rising expenses and flat-lined wages. Their dreams are being put on hold as a result. These are pocketbook concerns that have not been at the top of the agenda since 9-11. Now, I believe they are rising to the top and will make a difference on Election Day.

Both political parties are campaigning hard for the Mortgage Moms' attention. The party that gets their sympathy could win in November. We'll see.

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Hazlet, N.J.: but come on Jeff doesn't it seem sometimes like one big ugly Oligarch ?

Jeffrey Birnbaum: It may seem that way. And there are not an unlimited number of power players in Washington. But there are a lot. It is far from one-sided here. Which makes it interesting, but not in the way you suggest by your question.

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Houston, Tex.: What formal group speaks for the US business interest that support a continued immigrant work force (beside California farmers)?

Jeffrey Birnbaum: I wouldn't say there is any such group. There are many business organizations, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that welcome visiting workers. And there are many individual companies that lobby for the same thing. But I don't know of a single group that lobbies just on this subject.

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Jeffrey Birnbaum: Thanks everyone for writing it. I'll be back after my next column in a couple weeks. See you then!

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